Question

Read the excerpt from Enrique’s Journey.

Moreover, the Mara Salvatrucha street gangsters, some deported from Los Angeles, always prowl the train tops looking for sleepers. Many MS gangsters settle in Chiapas after committing crimes in the United States and being expelled to their home countries in Central America. The police in Chiapas are more forgiving of gangs than those in El Salvador or Honduras.

How does the meaning of the underlined word, prowl, support the author’s purpose in this excerpt? Select two options.

It illustrates that the police overlook the gangsters’ crimes.
It shows what happens when police allow gangsters to operate.
It indicates that the gangsters are looking for vulnerable people.
It explains why the gangsters were sent back to their home countries.
It supports the idea that the gangsters are involved in criminal activities.

Answer 1

- It indicates that the gangsters are looking for vulnerable people.
- It supports the idea that the gangsters are involved in criminal activities.

Explanation: "Prowl" implies sneaking around searching for prey, so it shows the gangsters hunt for sleeping (vulnerable) riders and conveys their predatory, criminal behavior.